Loading-machine.



PATENTED DBO. l2, 1905.

W.v E. HAMILTON. lLOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY16, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W itnesses L CLA-ML.

Attorneys.

N0.806,803. PATENTED DEC.].2,1905. W. E. HAMILTON. LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1904.

4sHEBTs4sHBBT2.

INVENTORI- mw s ./M/:/ BY MM,-

ATTORNEYS.

ATTEST N0. 806,803. PATENTED DBC. l2, 1905... W. E. HAMILTON. LOADINGMACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16. 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Attorneys.

Witnesses:

2M), 7gg/ym. WWMWA N0. 806,803. PATENTED DEC. l2, 1905. W E HAMILTONLUADING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION PILEn MAY16.1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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Wi nessesa By @Mfg-@cnw Attorneys.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

WILLIAM EDWARD HAMILTON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HAMILTONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A COR- PORATION OF OHIO.

LOADING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application led May 16, 1904. Serial No. 208,180.

' To al whom t may concern.

-Be it known that I, IVILLIAM EDWARD HAM- ILTON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of Columbus, county of Franklin, andState of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Loading-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to loading-machines, and has for its principalobjects to improve the conveyer-troughs, to make the conveyertrough ofsuch shape that it can be made of pressed metal, to drive the Iiights ofthe conveyer by means of a chain flexible in all directions, to controlthe inclination of the flights throughout their travel by a camguide, toincline the Iiights so that they will enter the material to be loadedwith a gouging action instead of with a sweep action simply, to provideimproved feed mechanism, to provide feed mechanism bearing upon theground, to provide feed mechanism so arranged that its traction effortwill be increased by the load on the conveyer, to provide feed mechanismfor the gathering mechanism comprising a feeding means located at theforward end of the gathering mechanism and a second feeding meansauxiliary thereto, to provide feed mechanism having frictionalconnection with the driving means, to provide improved means forreversing the direction of rotation of a shaft driven from a shaftcontinuously rotating in one direction, to provide a novel reversiblegear for transmitting motion to the feed mechanism, and other objectshereinafter more fully appearing.

My invention consists in the parts and in' the arrangements andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andwherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1is a side view, partly in section, of my improved machine, the rearportion of the truck and picking-table being broken ofl". Fig. 2 is atop view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig; 3 is a top view of thedriving mechanism separated from the remainder of the machine. Fig. 4 isa sectional view of the gathering mechanism on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a view of the creepers and frame detached. Fig. 6 is a sideview,

and Fig. 7 is a top view, of the forward end of a modified gatheringmechanism comprising a pivoted gathering-scoop, the creeper feedmechanism being modified to suit. Fig. 8 is a view of the Creepers andframe shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional viewthrough the booster-pinion and connected parts.

My improved loading-machine is mounted upon a truck 1, the front end ofwhich is shown. A base-plate 2 and a bracket 3 are mounted on the truck.The base-plate is pro-I vided with a step-bearing 4, and the bracket 3is provided with avertical bearing 5 in alinement with the step-bearing.A head-shaft 6 is journaled in said bearings projecting above thevertical bearing 5. Near the lower end of the head-shaft it is providedwith a bevel-gear 7, meshing with a bevel-gear 3 on a shaft 9. The shaft9 is ournaled in a bearing 10 on the base-plate 2 and is connected to amotor (not shown) mounted on the truck. This shaft 9 is hereinafterreferred to as the main shaft.

The loading-machine comprises an initial conveyer or gathering mechanismand final conveyer or delivery mechanism. The former comprises aconveyer 11, universally mounted at one end upon the upper end 12 of thehead-shaft. The delivery mechanism comprises a conveyer 13, universallymount ed at one end upon the head-shaft at a point 14 intermediate ofthe two bearings therefor. The details of the universal connection areshown, respectively, in my Patent N o. 740,559, issued October 6, 1903,and my Patent No. 736,846, issued August 13, 1903. The conveyer 13comprises a trough 15, having flights 16 moving therein. The iiights aremounted on a conveyer-chain. The going and return sections of the chainand iiights are in the same plane. This conveyer is so located that thegathering mechanism will discharge the materials carried up by itthereinto. This conveyer is hereinafter referred to as thelpicking-table.

The initial conveyer comprises an ascending trough 13 and a descendingcasing 19.

.The ascending trough is open at the top or IOO IOS

a horizontal direction. The descending casing is closed all around toprevent interference with the iiights. It is narrower than the ascendingtrough. The descending casingis more sharply inclined than the ascendingtrough, and its point of contact 20 with the ground is back of the pointof contact 21 of the latter with the ground. The gathering edge 22 is incontact with the ground from the point 20 to the point 21. Thus as theconveyer sweeps about its pivot-point the gathering edge 22 scoops upthe material to be loaded.

The iiights 23 are secured to an endless chain 24. This chain travels ina guide 25, consisting of a pipe provided with a longitudinal slit k26on the side adjacent to the ascending trough and descending casing. Thechain is driven by a sprocket 27 upon the shaft 6. Plates 28 29 areriveted above and below said guide,.respect ively, and thus form theframe of the conveyer, to which the ascending trough and descendingcasing are attached. Each of thel flights is provided with an integraleye 30 near the middle of its width, by means of which it is attached toa link of the chain 24 the eye passing through the slit 26. At its upperand lower edges, respectively, each flight has rearwardly-extending ears31 32 substantially triangular in shape. Rollers 33 34 are mounted onthe ears 31 32, respectively. Cam-guides 35 36 are mounted on the frameof the conveyer and form a track upon which the rollers 33 34 bear. Thecam-guides vary in lateral position relative to the chain-guide 24, andthus the inclination of the iiights may be varied. Along the ascendingtrough 18 the camguides are substantially straight and parallel with thechain-guide, the flights being thus sustained in a position erpendicularto the length of the trough. long the descending casing the cam-guidesare arranged back of the chain-guide and permit the iiights to beinclined by contact with the outer wall of the casing. Just beyond thecasing the camguides are so arranged as to incline the flights into suchaposition that the flights will enter the material to be loaded pointforemost, and from that point each iiight will move substantiallyparallel with itself until the material in front of it is swept upon andscooped up by the scoop end of the ascending trough.

A substantially V-shaped crane 37 is provided with bearings 38 39 in itsseparated ends. The bearings embrace the head-shaft 6 and thestep-bearing 4, respectively. The apex of the crane extends forwardlyand supports a standard 40, which extends through an opening in theframe of the initial conveyer. An arcuate rack 41 is secured to theframe of the truck 1. The forward end of the crane slides upon thisrack.

In its operation the gathering mechanism sweeps about on its pivot,describing the sector of a circle. To propel 1t during this sweemovement, two feed mechanisms are emp oyed. One is located at theforward end of the gathering mechanism and is the principal feedmechanism. The other drives the gathering mechanism by means of thearcuate rack 41, the crane 37, and standard 40 and is an auxiliary orbooster feed mechanism.

Upon the head-shaft 6 a second bevel-gear 42 is rigidly mounted.Bearings 43 44 are provided on the lower member of the crane 37, and inthem is ournaled a shaft 45, carrying a bevel-gear 46, meshing with thebevelgear 42 on the head-shaft. Bearings 47, 48, and 49 are alsoprovided on the lower member of the crane, and in them is ournaled ashaft 50, parallel to the shaft 45. From this latter shaft both the feedmechanisms are driven, and hence it is desirable to reverse thedirection of its rotation. The shaft 45 continuously rotates in onedirection. Means for reversing the direction of rotation of shaft 50 areprovided.

Upon the shaft 45 a sprocket-wheel 51 and a gear-wheel 52 are looselymounted. Between them a disk friction clutch 53 of known construction ismounted and keyed to the shaft. By means of a lever 54 the clutch may beshifted so as to operatively connect either the gear wheel 52 or thesprocketwheel 51 with the shaft 45. Upon the shaft 50 a complementarysprocket-wheel 55 and complementary gear-wheel 56 are fixed. Asprocket-chain 57 connects the sprocketwheels 51 and 55, and thegearwheels 52 and 56 mesh together. When the sprocketwheel 51 isclutched to the shaft 45, the shaft 50 will be caused to rotate in thesame direction as the shaft 45, because the chain-connectedsprocket-wheels rotate in the same direction. When, however, thegear-wheel 52 is clutched to the shaft 45, the shaft 5() rotates in adirection opposite to the direction of rotation of the shaft 45, for themeshing gear-wheels rotate in opposite directions. Thus the sh'aft 50can be driven in either direction from the shaft 45.

Themain feed mechanism is mounted as near the forward end of the initialconveyer or gathering mechanism as possible. It comprises asubstantially rectangular frame having side bars 58 59` and end pieces60 61. The side bars are provided with bearings 62 63 near the end piece60, and in these bearings an eccentric-shaft 64 is j ournaled. Theeccentric-shaft is provided with four eccentrics set at angularintervals ofninety degrees about the shaft. The end piece 61 is a thickblock provided with four slideways. Creep er-b ars 6 5 are' mounted atone end on the eccentrics on the eccentric-shaft 64 and at the other endextend through the slideways in the end piece 61. A yoke 66 is providedwith downwardly- TOO IOS

extending arms 67, provided with bearings for the eccentric-shaft. Pins68 69 extend upwardly from the yoke 66 and the end piece 61,respectively. A bar70 is rigidly secured on the conveyer-frame byrivets, as indicated in Fig. 5, and rovided at its opposite end witheyes which are engaged by said pins. The creepers are thus secured tothe conveyer-frame in a manner that will permit the slight relativemovement of the conveyerframe and the creeper-frame. This is desirable,for the scoop may pass over ground differing in level from the part uponwhich the creepers travel. The creeper-bars are provided with teeth 71on the side toward the ground, the teeth increasing in length from thesliding end toward the revolving end. It is apparent that the teethdescribe ovoid curves and that the teeth of no two bars are at similarpoints in their respective paths at once. Each bar as it passes throughthe lowest portion of its path engages the ground and pushes theconveyer forward. At the same time the end of the conveyer is slightlyraised and lowered. This effect is desirable, for this oscillation worksthe scoop end under the material to be loaded just as a workman workshis shovel under material.

The eccentric-shaft 64 is connected with the driving-shaft 50 by meansof a tumbler-shaft having telescoping sections 72 73 connected at theirends by universal joints 74 75 to the shafts 50 and 64, respectively.The section 72 has a slot 76, and the section 73 has a pin 77 enteringsaid slot. Thus relative longitudinal movement of the sections ispermissible while they are compelled to rotate together.

To support the forward end of the gathering mechanism when it is desiredto move the same longitudinally, a caster is provided. A frame 78 ismounted on the end of the creeper-frame. The end piece 60 and the frames78 are provided with alined bearings. A handle 79, having a caster 80ournaled on its lower end in the usual manner, is provided withtrunnions 81, which are ournaled in said bearings. A toothed arc 82'ismounted on the frame 78. A detent 83 is pivoted on the handle 79 andheld in engagement with said arc by a spring 84. In grasping the handlethe detent is released, and then the handle may be moved on itstrunnions to bring the caster in contact with the ground, raising thecreepers off the ground. When not in use, it is thrown back in theposition shown in the drawings.

Vertical bearings 85 86 are provided on the crane, and in them a shaft87 is journaled. This shaft is provided with a head 88, which rests onthe top of the bearing 85, and it is screw-threaded on its lower end.Intermediate of the bearings it is provided with a conical shoulder 89.Above said shoulder is fixed a worm-wheel 90, which meshes with a worm91, liXed on the driving-shaft 50. Be-

low the conical shoulder a pinion 92, having a hole conicallycounterbored on both sides, is loosely mounted. This pinion meshes withthe arcuate rack 41. A sleeve 93, having a conical end fitting into thelower conical counterbore of the pinion, is keyed to the shaft 87, sothat relative longitudinal movement is permissible. This sleeve restsupon a hand-wheel 94 upon the screw-threaded end of the shaft 87 bymeans of which it may be raised and lowered. The pinion 92 may thus befrictionally held to rotate with the shaft, and the force with which itis held may be varied.

In operation the gathering mechanism is caused to sweep about itspivot-point by the feed mechanisms. The two feed mechanisms usuallycooperate in feeding the gathering mechanism in this sweep movement. If,however, the main feed mechanism should feed faster than the boosterfeed mechanism, the booster-pinion will simply be caused to slip on theshaft 87. If in its sweep movement the gathering mechanismshouldencounter an unusual resistance, the effectiveness of the mainfeed mechanism may be reduced or destroyed if the iioor on which thecreepers are moving is soft and may be torn away. Then the booster feedmechanism will move thev gathering mechanism forward unless the obstacleencountered is immovable or oHers a resistance so great as to renderbreaking of the machine likely. In the latter cases the booster-pinionwill slip on its shaft and the sweep movement of the gathering mechanismwill stop. It is to be noted, however, that the chain and flightscontinue to run. Hence if the unusual resistance is IOC due to a slideof the material to be loaded the I sweep movement will be interruptedonly until the conveyer can carry the material away. Then the sweepvmovement of the The creeper feed mechanism is not limited.

in its application to a gathering mechanism having the gathering-scooprigid with the ascending trough of the conveyer. Tn Figs. 6, 8 thecreeper -feed is shown applied to a gathering mechanism 95, having apivoted gathering-scoop 96. A gathering mechanism of this type isdisclosed in my copending application for patent on loading-machinesfiled October 20, 1903, Serial No. 177,750. A substantially rectangularcreeper-frame 97 is provided with bearings 98 99 for the eccentricshafts100 101, of which there are two in this case. One is connected to thetumbler-shaft in the same manner as before. The other is driven by thecreeper-bars from the first, Creeper-bars 102 are mounted at theiropposite ends upon the eccentric-shafts. These IIO ISO

either way. A bar 104 is secured to thev frame of the conveyer. At itsopposite ends it is provided with eyes which receive pins 105 106 onyokes 107 108, provided with downwardly-eXtending arms 109 110, havingbearings in which the eccentric-shafts are journaled. A floatingconnection of the conveyer with the Creepers is thus provided. At itsopposite ends the frame 97 'is provided with extensions 111 1-12, inwhich casters 113 11-1 are pivoted in the manner described in detail inconnection with the previous form of conveyer. The Creeper-teeth in thisform of creeper feed mechanism describe circular curves; but otherwisethis form operates in the same manner as the form described above.

Obviously my machine is capable of considerable modification within thescope of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to thespecific construction shown and described.

What I claim as my invention, and 'desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A loading-machine comprising gathering mechanism arranged to gathermaterial from the ground and feed mechanism connected to said gatheringmechanism and having independent engagement with the ground whereby itis adapted to feed said gathering mechanism in its gathering movement.

2. A loading-machine comprising a gathering mechanism arranged to gathermaterial from the ground and feed mechanism mounted at the gathering endof said gathering mechanism and in engagement with the ground.

3. A loading-machine comprising a pivotally-mounted gathering mechanismand feed mechanism mounted upon said gathering mechanism and arranged toengage the ground.

4. A loading-machine comprising pivotally-mounted gathering mechanismand feed mechanism arranged to cause said gathering mechanism to sweepabout its pivot-point and to vibrate the gathering end of said gatheringmechanism.

5. A loading-machine comprising gathering mechanism and feed mechanismconnected thereto comprising creepers-arranged to successively engagethe ground, and means to actuate said creepers.

6. A loading-machine comprising gathering mechanism, and feed mechanismtherefor comprising a frame, an eccentric-shaft journaled in said frame,creepers connected to said eccentric-shaft, means to rotate said shaft,and means connecting said feed mechi anism to said gathering mechanism.

7. A loading-machine comprismg a truck,

a main shaft thereon, gathering mechanism pivoted on said truck andarranged to rest on the ground at its forward end, feed mechanism forsaid gathering mechanism connected near the forward end thereof andcomprising creepers arranged to successively engage the ground and meansoperatively connecting said main shaft and said creepers to actuate thesame.

8. A loading-machine comprising a truck, a main shaft thereon, gatheringmechanism pivoted thereon and arranged to rest on the ground at itsforward end, feed mechanism connected near the forward end of saidgathering mechanism and arranged to engage the ground, and meansoperatively connecting said main shaft and said feed mechanism andcomprising a tumbler-shaft having relatively longitudinally movablesections.

9. A loading-machine comprising a truck, gathering mechanism pivotedthereon arranged to rest on the ground at its forward end, feedmechanism mounted near the forward end of said gathering mechanism andarranged to engage the ground and means on said mechanism to raise saidfeed mechanism from the ground at will.

10. A loading-machine comprising a truck, gathering mechanism pivotedthereon and arranged to rest on the ground at its forward end, feedmechanism mounted near the forward end of said gathering mechanism andarranged to engage the ground and means comprising a roller mounted onsaid feed mechanism and arranged to support said feed mechanism out ofengagement with the ground at will.

1 1. A loading-machine comprising a truck,

gathering mechanism pivoted thereon and vfeed mechanism and a boosterfeed mechanism to cause said gathering mechanism to sweep about itspivot.

13. A loading-machine comprising a truck, gathering mechanism pivotedthereon, a main shaft, main feed mechanism and booster feed mechanismfor said gathering mechanism, said feed mechanisms being both drivenfrom said main shaft.

14. A loading-machine comprising a truck, gathering mechanism pivoted onsaid truck, a main feed mechanism and a booster feed mechanism for saidgathering mechanism IOO IIO

said feed mechanisms being yieldingly connected.

15. A loading mechanism comprising a platform,an arcuate feed-rackthereon, gathering mechanism pivotedon said truck, feed mechanismcomprising a shaft, a pinion in engagement with said feed-rack held torotate with said shaft by friction, means to adjust the force offriction, a main shaft and means operatively connecting said main shaftand said first-mentioned shaft.

16. A loading-machine comprising a platform, an arcuate feed-rackthereon, a main shaft, a shaft provided with a conical shoul- .der andoperatively connected with said main shaft, a pinion loosely mounted onsaid second-mentioned shaft in engagement with said shoulder and meshingwith said feedrack, a sleeve slidingly mounted on said second-mentionedshaft and provided with a conical portion arranged to engage saidpinion, and a hand-wheel in screw-threaded engagement with saidsecond-mentioned shaft and arrangedto adjust said sleeve.

17. A loading-machine comprising gathering mechanism, a main shaft, feedmechanism for said gathering mechanism and operative connections betweensaid feed mechanism and said main shaft comprising a shaft continuouslyrotating in one direction, a sprocketwheel and a gear-wheel looselymounted on said shaft, and a clutch between said wheels having a portionsecured to said shaft to rotate therewith and arranged to clutch eitherof said wheels, a arallel shaft provided with a sprocket-wheelpand agear-wheel secured thereto, said sprocket-wheels being connected by asprocket-chain and said gear-wheels meshing with each other.

18. A loading-machine comprising a conveyer-frame having a chain-guidingchannel, an, endless chain in said channel and guided thereby, asprocket to drive said chain, said chain being guided only by saidchannel and said driving-sprocket, a conveyertrough and flightsconnected to said chain and projecting into said trough.

19. A loading-machine comprising a conveyer-frame having achain-channel, a chain confined in said channel, a sprocket to drivesaid chain, flights pivotally connected to said chain and outwardlyprojecting therefrom, and an endless cam-guide arranged to control theangular position of said flights.

20. A loading-machine com rising a conveyer-frame, a trough, an end ess.chain provided with pivotally-mounted flights extending into andcooperating with said trough, and an endless cam-guide arranged to beengaged by said flights and hold them perpendicular to said trough whenascending, permitting the retreat -of the free ends of said flights whendescending and advancing the free ends of said flights beyond the endsconnected to said chain when approaching the receiving end of saidconveyer.

21. A loading-machine comprising a conveyer-frame having achain-channel, a chain confined therein, a sprocket to drive said chain,a conveyer-trough, flights pivotally connected to said chain andoutwardly projecting therefrom, and an endless cam-guide arranged to beengaged by said flights and hold them perpendicular to said trough whenascending, permitting the free ends of said flights to retreat indescending, and advancing the free ends of said nights when approachingthe receiving end of said conveyer.

22. A loading-machine comprising a conveyer arranged to rest on theground at one end,.the opposite sides of said conveyer verticallydiverging from each other, said sides being connected at the gatheringend by a gathering-plate parallel with the ground.

23. A loading-machine comprising a conveyer having an ascending'troughand a return-casing, having their longitudinal axes indierent verticalplanes, said return-casing being more sharply inclined than saidascending trough.

24. A loading-machine comprising a conveyer arranged to rest on theground at one end, and comprising an ascending trough terminating at thegathering end of the conveyer in a gathering edge and a descendingcasing more sharply inclined than said ascending trough, the bottomplate of said casing descending to the rear end of said gathering edge.

In testimony whereof I have signed myI name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of IOIaly,1904, at Columbus, Franklin county,

WILLIAM EDWARD HAMILTON. Witnesses:

W. D. HAMILTON, J GINToN.

IOO

